Peoria Newcomers Guide

Peoria is ideally located for the sport and recreation enthusiast. Each spring, the Peoria Sports Complex becomes the spring training home to the San Diego Padres and the Seattle Mariners. There are four spring training sites within 10-miles of Peoria, so catching a Cactus League Spring Training game is easy. If you are a fan of the NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL, NASCAR or major college sports, Peoria puts you minutes away from seeing your favorite team or driver.

Located in the Peoria 83 (P83) Entertainment District, Arizona Broadway Theatre is a professional fine dining theater performing highly acclaimed Broadway shows. The Center for the Performing Arts is located in the City’s Old Town area and is the stage home of Theater Works, a nationally recognized community theater.

If you like playing in a park, then Peoria is the place for you. Peoria offers two regionally recognized community parks and 33 neighborhood parks. Rio Vista Recreation Center and Park is a 52-acre park in the heart of Peoria that boasts an urban fishing lake, top-notch skate park, volleyball and softball fields, batting cages, ramadas, and a state of the art recreation facility. In the southern part of the city is Pioneer Community Park, an 84-acre facility with athletic fields, 5-acre fishing lake, and a dog park.

Looking to get out and stretch the legs? Peoria has over 25 miles of trails to enjoy. Hike, bike or jog along the New River Trail, or go explore the surrounding desert and see incredible vistas and areas where ancient civilizations once lived. Peoria offers a unique desert and water experience. Lake Pleasant and Lake Pleasant Regional Park is located in north Peoria. With more than 10,000 acres of water and 13,600 acres of land, this popular attraction is the perfect place for water sports, desert camping, hiking and wildlife watching.1

Relocating to Peoria

Peoria, which covers 162 square miles, prides itself on its quality of life and much of that has to do with its numerous offerings for residents and visitors. Whether it's sailing at Lake Pleasant Regional Park, reaching for the stars at the Challenger Space Center, enjoying the latest show at the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts or attending events at the award-winning Peoria Sports Complex, Peoria residents consistently rank their community as second to none.

What's more, the city is on the cusp of becoming a significant player in the Valley's recent economic boom. Projects recently opened, or in the works, include the 90,000-square-foot Arrowhead Corporate Center office complex, the 630,000-square-foot Lake Pleasant Town Center retail hub, and Park West, a 55-acre upscale center with 50 specialty retailers, two parks and nine restaurants.2

Peoria Real Estate Snapshot

Voted as one of the nation's top 100 cities to live in according to Money magazine, Peoria has so much to offer. Shopping and dining are available at The Lake Pleasant Towne Center, or spend your day at Lake Pleasant fishing, water skiing, or just lounging. You're sure to find something that suits your needs and lifestyle.

According to Trulia, the average price per square foot for Peoria AZ has shown a steady increase, with 6.5% just in the last year. The median sales price for homes currently stand in the $200,000 to high $300,000 range.3

Taylor Morrison currently offers a number of new homes in four of the most in-demand Peoria communities.

Estates at Happy Valley serves as an exciting addition to the highly desirable area. It’s a gated community offering huge acre plus home sites with detached casitas and free-standing RV garage options. Homes range from 2,808 to 3,862 square feet and are priced from the high $400s.

Ironwood Ridge is located in the amenity-rich master planned community of Vistancia, and offers 8 gorgeous single and two-story plans ranging from 1,779 all the way up to 3,958 square feet, and are priced from the reasonable mid $200s.

Northlands offers scenic views of Lake Pleasant Regional Park and the Calderwood Buttes, while providing access to some of the West Valley’s best shopping, dining and entertainment. These homes range from 1,735 to 4,730 square feet, and are priced from the mid $200s.

Terramar is a community located just minutes from Lake Pleasant, and surrounded by Sunrise and West Wing Mountain, providing plenty of options for hiking, fishing, waterskiing, or just lounging. Priced from the high $200s, these homes range from 1,779 to 3,958 square feet.

Peoria Economy

Peoria has created a community with a very high quality of life, and as a result, retail and service offerings are very strong. The city has a thriving Entertainment District, which is the most affluent and exciting 10-minute radius in the West Valley of the Phoenix metropolitan area. In that area, 29% of household incomes were over $100,000 annually.

The tremendous growth in the area over the last decade has fueled the need to expand retail services. Peoria has responded by targeting retail opportunities to meet the needs of residents and improve the community service offerings.

The city sees its future growth in advanced business services, manufacturing, bioscience/health care, and scientific and technical services.4

Peoria Schools

Peoria boasts the third-largest public-school district in the state. With 38 schools serving more than 37,000 students, Peoria Unified offers wide-ranging career and technical-education options, including nursing, technology, and drafting. Neighboring Glendale Community College, which has three campuses, is part of the largest community-college system in the country. It's a popular choice for students looking to earn occupational certificates or associate's degrees, and for those aiming to transfer to a four-year university.2

Peoria Living

In a 2013 Citizen Survey, approximately 98 percent of its residents said they would recommend to anyone asking, that they should live in Peoria. To vacationers and smart homebuyers alike, Peoria has been one of the most desirable locations in Arizona.

The city and area offers diverse and affordable housing opportunities, award-winning park and recreational amenities, MLB spring training for the Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres, two community theaters, a top-ranked school district and close proximity to other Phoenix-area amenities including Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, professional sports, NASCAR, and culture and performing arts.